Don Juan, ballet: 25. Allegro - Allegro giusto - Allegro
Don Juan, ballet: 26. Andante staccato
Don Juan, ballet: 27. Allegro
Don Juan, ballet: 28. Allegretto
Don Juan, ballet: 29. Andante staccato
Don Juan, ballet: 30. Larghetto
Don Juan, ballet: 31. Allegro non troppo
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: Sinfonia. Maestoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 1. Andante
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 2. Allegro
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 3. Moderato
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 4. Moderato, Grazioso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 5. Moderato
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 6. Maestoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 7. Grazioso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 8. Maestoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 9a. Affettuoso / 9b. Affettuoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 10. Adagio - Pił Adagio
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 11. Affettuoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 12. Adagio
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 13. Allegro maestoso
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 14. Adagio - Allegro
Semiramis, ballet in 1 act: 15. Allegro assai
Gluck made his reputation as one of opera's great reformers. He was the 18th century's Wagner, an artist who fought against the tyranny of the singer in order to establish a more unified conception of opera in which each... more » element was subservient to the composer's dramatic plan. But what made this radical concept work was a much more positive role for the orchestra, and it's a quality you can hear very clearly in these two ballets. The final scene of Don Juan, depicting his descent into hell, had a direct effect on Mozart when he wrote Don Giovanni. It's the first representation of real terror in music. This then is an important disc historically, but even better, it's highly entertaining musically. --David Hurwitz« less
Gluck made his reputation as one of opera's great reformers. He was the 18th century's Wagner, an artist who fought against the tyranny of the singer in order to establish a more unified conception of opera in which each element was subservient to the composer's dramatic plan. But what made this radical concept work was a much more positive role for the orchestra, and it's a quality you can hear very clearly in these two ballets. The final scene of Don Juan, depicting his descent into hell, had a direct effect on Mozart when he wrote Don Giovanni. It's the first representation of real terror in music. This then is an important disc historically, but even better, it's highly entertaining musically. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
Orchestral Treats from an Operatic Great
12/18/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At mid-price, this CD represents a considerable bargain. I recalled this very special music from a now out-of-print Decca recording with Marriner and the SMFO, and I remember the performance as being especially suave and polished, as usual with these artists. Weil's top-notch period band brings, instead of suavity, raw energy and eclat. Gluck is the winner, I think--and so are we. From the buoyant Sinfonia to the dark, hurtling Chaconne portraying the terrors of Hell, this is music of much resourcefulness. The Chaconne finale, by the way, is lifted right out of Gluck's own Orfeo ed Euridice, but as H. C. Robbins Landon points out in his characteristically informative notes, it was the Don Juan finale that introduced German music to the Sturm und Drang movement in art. Chief among Gluck's imitators were Haydn and Mozart, no less. So Gluck's music is not only highly entertaining but of historical significance as well. Among other highlights are the gracious Gavotte (No. 7) and the Moderato (No. 19), a fandago in which keening, scalewise passages in the second violins slice through the orchestral fabric like the proverbial tocsin in the night--great stuff!Sermiramis is shorter and not quite so distinguished, but check out the grand Maestoso (No. 8) with its trumpets and drums or the very affecting pair of dances marked Affetuoso (No. 9a & b).As I said, the performances are as exciting as the music, and the sound is big and bright. In fact, the piercing clarino trumpets may need to be tamed a bit in playback on your system. But you'll appreciate the chilling rasp the old trombones lend to the Don Juan Larghetto (No. 30) and finale (No. 31). Latch on to this one, lovers of the Classical era in music!"
Track Listings (48) - Disc #1